Is your game’s copy protection system frying your machine?

Some gamers are upset about a hidden device driver called Starforce that …

Stop me if you've heard this one before: you bring a CD home from the store, pop it into your computer, and it installs a hidden CD/DVD device driver on your PC that tries to prevent you from making copies of the product. No, we're not talking about Sony's rootkit debacle—this time it's copy protection for computer games.

Starforce, makers of the security software (which also prevents emulators and debuggers from running while the game is launched), offers no apologies for their program or the way it works. In fact, they have gone on the offensive, threatening critics with lawsuits. Cory Doctorow, who recently posted a story about the Starforce software, promptly received an e-mail from Dennis Zhidkov, a public relations manager at StarForce Inc. Mr. Zhidhov, who seems to be a prickly sort of fellow (see the message he left on a CNet forum), had this to say:

"Dear Sir, calling StarForce 'Anti-copying malware' is a good enough cause to press charges and that is what our corporate lawyer is busy doing right now. I urge you to remove your post from http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/30/anticopying_malware_.html because it is full of insults, lies, false accusations and rumors. Your article violates approximately 11 international laws. Our USlawyer will contact you shortly. I have also contacted the FBI , because what you are doing is harassment."

The e-mail raises the intriguing question of how one can violate "approximately" eleven international laws, as well as the related question of what international "laws" are being referenced. Mr. Zhidkov's e-mail aside, though, Starforce has built up a vocal opposition over the years. One web site has even launched a campaign to boycott games that use the system. People are upset because they believe the software installs without their knowledge (Starforce insists that it is mentioned in the game's EULA), then runs as a device driver that they claim can reduce performance.

"For example, here's one of the common problems brought by Starforce: under Windows XP, if packets are lost during the reading or writing of a disk, XP interprets this as an error and steps the IDE speed down. Eventually it will revert to 16bit compatibility mode rendering a CD/DVD writer virtually unusable. In some circumstances certain drives cannot cope with this mode and it results in physical hardware failure (Most commonly in multiformat CD/DVD writer drives). A sure sign of this step down occurring is that the burn speeds will get slower and slower (no matter what speed you select to burn at). Starforce, on a regular basis, triggers this silent step down. Until it reaches the latter stages most people do not even realise it is happening.

Moreover, the Starforce drivers, installed on your system, grant ring 0 (system level) privileges to any code under the ring 3 (user level) privileges. Thus, any virus or trojan can get OS privileges and totally control your system."

But is this true? Ubisoft, one of the largest developers that use Starforce, looked into the issue a few months ago in response to a user outcry. They found that only 0.3% of their testers experienced any problems, and most of the problems experienced had to do with typing a code incorrectly. And a few days ago, Starforce posted a press release claiming that Mark Russinovich (of Sony rootkit fame) had personally vetted their software and found it free of "root-kits or malwares."

People seem upset more about the fact that they do not know Starforce is being installed, that it installs itself as a hidden device driver, and that it is not always uninstalled correctly than that it actually contains a "rootkit." It also seems clear that the reaction of Starforce PR has not helped matters. (After all, copy protection measures have been in place in video games for ages and don't usually inspire this sort of reaction.) In addition to threats of lawsuits, Mr. Zhidkov has also posted statements like the following one that appeared on the company's website.

"According to our research those of users [sic] that do run into compatibility problems are beginner-level-hackers that try to go around our protection system."

He's not exactly extending an olive branch to angry gamers who feel that the privacy of their machines is being violated, and the confrontational attitude is certainly doing the company no favors with those who end up using its product. Whether or not the product actually poses a threat your machine is not clear, and we at Ars take no position on it (so don't, um, sue us under approximately eleven international laws, Mr. Zhidkov), but if you'd like to see if any of your games use Starforce, take a gander at the complete list.

Note: To check if your computer has the Starforce driver installed, open the Device Manager, select "View-->Show Hidden Devices," then look under "Non Plug-and-play Drivers."